Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to toys, particularly to a toy for automatically playing a tune or voiced message upon operation thereof.
Description Of The Prior Art
Heretofore children have played with tops and other spinning toys of a wide variety of shapes, types, and modes of operation. For example, in my prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,386, dated 1970 Aug. 11, a spinnable, stringless, gyroscopic top is shown which can be set into motion by rapidly rolling a roller protruding therefrom along a fixed surface in one direction several times to set a gyroscopic rotor therein into motion, whereupon the top will stand and spin on its tip for a period of time due to inertia of the rotor. Such a top, which has been widely sold under the trademark WIZ-Z-ZER, has great fascination and has provided much enjoyment for adults as well as children, but it would be desirable if this toy could be arranged to provide even more fascination and enjoyment.
Similarly, manually spinnable tops or jacks, string-operated gyroscopes, and various types of string-held twirling toys have been provided for the amusement of children. However these devices provided limited enjoyment, are generally of interest only to children, and usually failed to amuse their users for longer than a very brief period of time.